Ilocos shapes up as country’s RE capital

Ilocos Region in Northern Luzon stands as an important site for harnessing offshore wind power in the Philippines and a strategic area to support the renewable energy workforce in the country.

The place is also home to the first onshore wind farm in Southeast Asia.

With a 2-GW floating offshore wind farm project in Ilocos Norte, Buhawind Energy Philippines (BEP), a joint venture between Yuchengco-led PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) and Denmark’s Copenhagen Energy (CE), held the forum Skills & Strategies for Success: Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce for Northern Luzon Offshore Wind Power Project, on 19 November, 2024 in RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

The event brought together key industry experts, investors, educators, and policymakers who discussed strategies for workforce upskilling and development in the offshore wind energy sector, specifically focused on Northern Luzon.

The activity was welcomed and supported by the provincial government of Ilocos Norte led by Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc.

“We are pleased with the level of support and commitment that we receive from various stakeholders aimed at equipping the Ilocos Norte workforce with necessary skills to thrive in offshore wind energy,” Rona Leigh Bueno, head of Ilocos Norte Trade and Investment Promotions Center (INvest).

Start of strong collaborations

BEP president Francisco Delfin Jr. emphasized that the event is just the beginning of long-term and society-wide collaborations to ensure that Filipino professionals and workers benefit from offshore wind energy projects.

“We strongly believe that the journey to a sustainable energy future should also be a roadmap for a stronger nation-building,” Delfin stated.

Energy Undersecretary Sharon Garin outlined the development and growth prospects in offshore wind country in Northern Luzon and the Philippines as whole.

She emphasized that accelerating offshore wind development will not only involve supporting port infrastructure and marine-based energy resource development projects, but also empowering the Filipino workforce through right-skilling initiatives and international accreditation programs.

The forum also identified the most pressing workforce development needs and training and learning gaps, which are important inputs to charting a roadmap for creating job opportunities in the growing offshore wind industry.

Among ongoing initiatives presented during the forum was the JOBS4RE initiated by the Danish and Philippine governments and currently led by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Global Wind Organisation (GWO).